With preliminary studies, risk analyses, simulations, environmental permits, and other preparatory work now completed, the Skandia Gateway project has received the final green light.
The European Union Commission’s approval, confirming that state funding for the fairway deepening at the Port of Gothenburg is not considered state aid, marks a significant milestone.
Following the EU Commission’s announcement, the Gothenburg Port Authority was able to activate the prearranged agreement with NCC for the quay reinforcement component of the expansive infrastructure project, Skandia Gateway. The next steps include the establishment of a project organisation, the setup of offices adjacent to the Port of Gothenburg container terminal, and preparations for the groundbreaking ceremony scheduled for February 2024.
“The stage has been set for a long time, and it is with great confidence that we can now press the button and proceed with this project, which is so crucial for the competitiveness of Swedish industry. It is high time that we get started,” stated Göran Eriksson, CEO of the Gothenburg Port Authority.
In addition, uninterrupted shipping directly to and from the Swedish port across the world’s oceans is an essential condition for the national industry to efficiently access global markets, considering both environmental impact and cost-effectiveness.The escalating size of the largest vessels necessitates a deeper fairway in the port.
Container ship capacity has surged by 50% over the past 15 years, prompting a need for increased depth as today’s largest ships can only enter the Port of Gothenburg when partially loaded. Moreover, shipping companies are contemplating the deployment of even larger vessels in the future.
“But this is not about the port’s raison d’être, but about ensuring that we continue to serve Swedish industry in the future. The current fairway depth is already a limitation as shipping companies are restricted in their choice of route to reach Gothenburg. With the fairway deepening, the largest vessels can enter fully loaded in the future, which in turn provides flexibility in existing traffic. It’s a climate aspect in itself, while the port becomes interesting in even more line setups,” added Göran Eriksson.
Skandia Gateway represents a collaborative effort, with the Gothenburg Port Authority overseeing quay reinforcement measures at the container terminal, and the Swedish Maritime Administration handling initiatives in the fairway.
The initial phase involves reinforcing 700 meters of quay, a crucial step to prepare the terminal for accommodating larger vessels than currently feasible. Simultaneously, the Swedish Maritime Administration will commence dredging activities in a 5-kilometer segment of the fairway, involving the removal of 11 million cubic meters of clay.
The journey towards a revitalized Port of Gothenburg is set to commence with the reinforcement of the quay in February-March 2024. Following this, the dredging work in the fairway is scheduled for the third quarter of 2026. The project is anticipated to reach completion in the fourth quarter of 2027 or the first quarter of 2028.
